The Dark Raiju
by M-Angel 05
Summary: After the fire in Xing, Yona is thinking about Algira and his cats and her relationships with her dragons and Hak. Let's just say her dreams take on an interesting twist.
1. Cats and Dragons

**Chapter 1** : _Cats and Dragons_

* * *

Yona looked over at Princess Tao, Vold and Algira as they slept peacefully next to one another in the cave they'd taken refuge in. Zeno had saved the Princess Xing by almost sacrificing his life, however like always he'd come back to them. The burns had regenerated slowly to pink healthy skin once his scales had appeared. His hair had reappeared normal and he was safe, though his clothes once again needed to be replaced. She hated seeing him in pain as he had all but collapsed into her arms. Moments after he'd fallen asleep next to her other dragons the dragon medallion had reappeared on the ground next to him. It had been strange not seeing it on his person, but she guessed that it had some sort of magic to it in order for the object to find him like it did.

Her eyes scanned over Algira once again and she found herself trying to suppress a giggle as she counted six cats and three kittens surrounding the blonde haired man. All the cats seemed to happy that they'd found him and it made her wonder how special of a relationship he had with the felines. It also made her reflect on her relationship with Hak and her dragons, though it wasn't the same as what Algira had with the cats, it was similar to what Princess Tao had with him and Vold.

Her eyes started feeling heavy. The night's events finally catching up to her. Her tired eyes turned towards Yun who had fallen asleep next to Zeno, with his arms wrapped around the Ouryuu's waist. Her violet eyes then spotted Hak who sat on a rock near the cave entrance. He held his weapon against his shoulder as his dark piercing eyes stared out into the darkness. Sighing, she decided she should try to get some sleep, even if it was only for an hour or two. Sleep came easily and with it dreams that were both welcomed and unusual.

* * *

Morning light skittered across the valley, through trees and into the villages below. In the village sat a small home that was bathed in the morning sunlight. The red bricks and timber roof warmed as the morning dew dried from the heat. Slowly the resident inside began to awaken. Long red hair was sprawled out on the blue pillows. Slowly violet eyes opened sleepily before the person sat up and rubbed their eyes. The blue blankets fell to the persons waist revealing them to be a young woman with slight curves and dips where they should be. The young girl slowly registered where she was. At first her brows knitted together in confusion at how she'd ended up in a warm bed.

"Yona!" a familiar voice came through the doors towards her. It was Yun's voice, she knew that instantly.

Throwing her legs out from under the blankets and over the bed she pushed herself up and quickly dressed in her red and white dress that Yun had made her months before. Once dressed she left the room to find Yun, which was quite easy as she left the front room and went outside where Yun was standing over a boiling pot of food.

 _Breakfast._ She thought happily. She held back a giggle as she saw the rag on top of Yun's head that was keeping his hair out of his eyes. "Yun, it smells delicious."

The young man practically preened at her words. "Thank-you Yona. It's a new recipe. Jae-ha and Shin-ah hunted this morning and caught a deer."

Yona's eyes scanned the area and found that the house was on the edge of the town they were in. "Yun, how'd we get here?" She asked not really recognizing where they were.

"Huh?" He asked as he looked towards her as she was looking towards the village. "What are you talking about?"

"How did we get to this village?" She asked him. "Last I remember is us being in a cave after a fire in Xing."

"Xing?" Yun repeated. "Yona we're on the outskirts of the wind tribe near Xing, but we've never gone there. Your dragons keep us here in Kouka." He blinked at her. "Are you feeling okay?"

 _Was is all a dream?_ She wondered. "Maybe I was dreaming." She murmured. _But it felt so real._ She thought as she sat down on the ground.

"Yeah, that's some dream." He frowned. "Why would you want to go to a country that's threatening war with us." He growled slightly which caught Yona's attention. "It's because Princess Kouren wants your dragons that Xing is even threatening us. She wants to control them in order to destroy Kouka and take Hiryuu Castle as her own." He leaned over the food and sniffed before bringing the spoon to his lips.

"Maybe we should move on to somewhere safer." She muttered quietly.

Yun paused in his tasting his eyes widening. "But we just got here three days ago!" He yelled. "It was you who said we should find a quiet town near the boarder and stay there as a first defense, now you're changing your mind?" He bowed his head in defeat.

Yona giggled at him and what he'd just said. It _did_ sounded like something she'd say. "Okay. We'll stay." She said with a smile. "Where's Hak and the others."

"Tch." He snorted. "Those strange beasts are probably annoying some poor person or another."

"Who's annoying who?" came a deep voice behind the two.

Yona smiled inwardly at the voice. "You're annoying somebody!" Yun yelled at the person behind her.

"Right." The voice became gentler. Yona suddenly felt him sit behind her before arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her to a broad chest.

"H-Hak!" She cried out in surprise, her cheeks becoming enflamed as his nose burried itself against her soft curls. Her shoe fell off as she was lifted and placed into a hard lap. Her breath came out in soft pants. She couldn't breathe! She heard a soft purring sound as Hak held her tightly to him.

"Yes, master Yona." He lazily murmured against her ear.

Yona wanted to hide her face somewhere, hell she wanted to run and hide away from him anywhere! Her face was burning, she couldn't breathe, and if he kept it up she was certain she was gonna faint! Turning her face to look at him she found her words stolen from her lips as she got her first real glimpse of him. He still looked like the Hak she'd known all her life, but his features seemed gentler, his eyes were softer and on top of his head were two cat-like ears! Lifting a hand she touched one. It was real! It was also very soft and apparently sensitive as she suddenly found him nuzzling her neck and purring up a storm. As good as this was though she couldn't understand how this could've happened. Hak had been turned into a neko! How was that even possible? It was when his tongue came out and touched her speeding pulse against her neck that she lost her fight and she promptly fainted in his arms.

* * *

 **M-Angel** : I'm thinking this story will be probably 5 chapters long. So what did you guys think of the beginning?

This story was inspired by a picture done by twitter artist K_ponbon - picture is the picture art for the story.

Check out her other Akatsuki no Yona inspired pictures on her twitter feed! You won't regret it!

Photo Credit (Artist): KAORI

Twitter: Twitter dot com /k_ponbon


	2. New World

**Chapter 2** : _New World_

* * *

Hak realized that the form in his arms suddenly went lax causing him to lift his head away from the neck he was nuzzling. "Princess?" He questioned the girl in his arms. His ears perked up before alarm hit him. She wasn't responding! He laid her gently on the ground before looking up at Yun for help. "Yun!"

Upon hearing his named called by the raven haired man, Yun looked towards him. Seeing Yona sprawled out on the ground he rushed over to her side. "What'd you do?" He demanded from the neko.

"Nothing! I only gave her a morning hug!" Hak cried out in surprise at the chastisement. Seriously, he'd done nothing wrong. Yona always let him hug and nuzzle her in the mornings. It calmed him down and allowed her to feel safe and secure.

"Well," Yun began after examining her. "I think she only fainted. She's probably just hungry." He pulled the rag off of his head causing his cat-like ears to stand straight up and twitch. "Humans are odd creatures." He muttered as he patted Hak's shoulder. "She'll be fine."

Suddenly the noise of four men caught their attention. Yun rolled his eyes as Yona's dragon warriors came out from wherever they'd been. He counted to ten before he heard Kija's voice ring out. "What happened!"

"She fainted." Hak explained as he pulled Yona back into his arms and laid her head against his chest.

Hak saw a blur of yellow whiz by and chuckled as Zeno took off somewhere. Ao jumped onto his shoulder and peered down at the passed out Princess, while Shin-ah looked at him. Kija began arguing with Jae-ha about how he'd known they shouldn't have left without making sure she was alright earlier. A moan suddenly caught everyone's attention, especially Hak's. Looking down he watched twin violet orbs look up at him. "You okay?" He tried to conceal his worry but it was hard to do so. Yona's cheeks turned pink once more as she gave him a nod. "Good." He said as he leaned down and nuzzled the top of her head. Once more the color on her cheeks deepened and once more Yona was a bit confused. Thankfully he released her from his grasp before she had a relapse.

As soon as Zeno returned from wherever he'd run off to, Yun began dividing the breakfast portage between the group of friends. Zeno sat next to Yona and before she began to eat she felt him tap her shoulder. "Is Miss alright now?"

She turned her head towards him and was thankful that at least Zeno and her dragons were normal looking or at least their form of normal. "Yeah. I don't know what happened there." She laughed nervously when she suddenly felt Zeno take her hand and place his medallion in it.

"When Zeno doesn't feel like himself, he likes to hold this close." He stated. "It allows Zeno to remember things that he's forgotten or needs to remember. It also helps Zeno not to feel lonely or sad."

"Zeno." She said his name softly before holding the dragon medallion close to her chest. "Thank-you. I'll give it back to you later." Zeno gave a nod before digging into his bowl of food.

As everybody ate Yona let her eyes scan them over. While Yun and Hak seemed to be the only two with cat-like ears, everybody else seemed human. _Maybe it's stress?_ She thought. _Yun did say that I looked like I needed some rest a few days ago. Of course that's before we met Princess Tao and her group._ She looked at Hak who sat diligently next to her eating his food. _While I don't mind the ears, I really wish I knew what was going on._ Sighing she began eating her breakfast hoping that things would soon be explained.

* * *

As the day wore on Yun and Yona went down into the village. Once again Yun wore the cloth over his ears to hide them. Yona noticed this but didn't say anything about it. As they entered the market area Yun sat up his herbs to sell while Yona looked around for a bit. She then came across something that was curious to her, another neko, this one was a pink haired young girl around her age. She wore a pink collar with two small golden bells on it. It was cute, but something felt wrong about it. The girl's eyes held a hollowness about them that left Yona's heart aching. The girl's tail had a bow attached to it that also had two golden bells hanging from it. She frowned as she watched a man push the girl out of his way and that made her a bit upset. She wanted to say something when she felt a hand wrap around her waist and found herself pulled to a broad chest.

"What do you think you're doing?" questioned her captor.

Looking up she saw Hak wearing his hooded cloak with the hood over his head. "Looking around." She said. She watched his eyes darken as he watched the neko girl dust herself off. The girl gave a cry as somebody stepped on her tail. She hissed which caused Hak's eyes to widen.

"Let's go." He stated with some urgency.

"Hak?" She questioned as he pulled her away from the scene. The sound of a resounding slap could be heard along with a whimpering from the neko female. Yona stayed quiet until they reached Yun's stand. Once there they found that the young man had sold most of his things.

Yun smiled up at Yona. "We made quite a bit-" he paused at Hak's dark look. How he was pulling the hood down to conceal his features a bit more. "What's wrong?" He asked as he looked around to see if there was trouble near. He tried to keep his ears flat against his skull in an attempt to keep people from knowing he was of a different species.

"A female hissed." He stated. "This market isn't neko friendly."

Yun swallowed hard as he felt his heart beat a little harder in his chest. "If they find out a neko is selling things here..." He stated.

"Yeah." Hak nodded. "Gather your things quickly." Yun nodded.

Yona looked up at Hak. "Hak?" She whispered his name causing him to look at her through his peripheral vision. "Why were they treating her that way?"

"You know why Princess." He stated as Yun finished gathering his things. The three quickly left the market.

"If I knew I wouldn't have asked." She muttered which gained a sigh from him.

"Unlike in Kuuta and Fuuga, the neko species is considered second class citizens in most part of Kouka." He frowned. "We're a easy labor force, easily enslaved and even more easily defeated when people know our weak spots if we get into fights." He glanced at her. "Don't you recall the girls in Awa telling you this?"

"I-It slipped my mind." She muttered as she looked away from his intent gaze.

Hak sighed. "I know you're stressed out and being here is definitely going bring more stress than what is necessary. We should leave." He felt her pull his arm. Pausing in his steps he looked at her, thankful they were at least half way out the village.

"I'll be fine Hak." She said which caused him to bend down low and touch his forehead against hers. Yona felt her cheeks once again heat up.

"So brave." He muttered. "I am happy to have you as my master."

Yona shook her head, her eyes looking into his. "I'm not your master." She said squeezing his hand. "I'm your friend."

* * *

True to his word Hak brought up the subject of them leaving during their evening dinner. Though that morning Yun had been up in arms about leaving, finding out that the village wasn't really neko friendly changed his mind instantly. It was decided by a vote that in the morning they'd leave.

It was very late at night when Yona woke up. The look in that girl's eyes still wouldn't leave her. Stepping out of bed and walking into the main room she found Yun curled up on his side with arms around Zeno's waist, the Ouryuu had a smile on his face as on his other side was Shin-ah who had his head on Zeno's shoulder. In the corner she found Kija and Jae-ha with their arms around each other. She held a hand over her mouth. Jae-ha may tease Kija but the two were as close as brothers and it was cute to see them sleeping like this. She then opened the door to outside and found Hak leaning with his elbows on his knees looking over the firepit. His eyes looked up as she walked out.

"Everything okay Princess?" He questioned as his eyes seemed to sparkle with mischievousness.

She smiled at him. "Yeah." She spoked with some weariness in her voice. "Just can't sleep." She sat down next to him. She then noticed that he wasn't wearing his overcoat, instead it was just his royal blue kimono robe, which was open for the world to see his well defined chest and abs. Thankfully Yona could say her cheeks were red not from embarrassment but from the heat of the fire when in actuality it was the opposite. She'd always known Hak was handsome, she was a girl and she had heard the servants talk about him, but this was Hak, her friend. She still couldn't define all these new emotions that were being riled up in her. She knew what one of them might be, but she wasn't ready to give her heart to somebody again. Su-won had hurt that part of her and she wasn't ready to open it again, not yet anyway.

Hak draped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her close. "You haven't had a bad dream in awhile and you don't have that haunted look in your eyes; so I know it wasn't a dream that's keeping you awake."

"I keep thinking about that girl." She muttered sadly. "Her eyes were hollow."

"It was those bells." Hak stated. "They're spirit bells. When they ring they tie the spirit down on a neko, makes them more obedient and forces them to adhere to their master's wishes; no mater how cruel their master is."

"Hak," She spoke his name with a softness to her voice. "why do you call me your master. I don't make you wear a bell or anything like that."

He snorted. "You obviously don't remember us first meeting." Yona cocked her head at him. "Old man brought me to the palace when you were about three years old, I was five at the time. I was wearing a bell and had a tail back then." He looked at her and smiled. "You took one look at me and ran full speed towards me. You then grabbed my bell threw it on the floor and yelled _mine_! Everybody in the room was shocked, especially me. I thought you were gonna be a spoiled brat." He paused at her smile. "I was right." She hit him playfully. "But you weren't what I was expecting." He scratched his head as he recalled that incident. "I call you master out of respect."

"What happened to your tail?" She asked causing him to frown at her.

"It was a deal I made with the Old Man." He stated. "Told him the only way I'd call him gramps is if I didn't have the tail and would be his official heir." He shook his head. "I didn't think he'd take it seriously!" Yona giggled. "Got knocked out and woke up without one." He laughed. "Got sweets for two weeks afterwords." He then frowned as he looked back at her. "You cried about it for a whole day when I visited you the next time."

"I did not!" She defended.

"You did!" He yelled back with a large grin. "My kitty's tail! Where did it go? Tail gone! Tail gone!" He teased. Yona's cheeks turned pink once again. "It's okay." He said with a shrug. "We both got over it." He eyed her. "Surprised you don't remember that."

"I think I've forgotten a lot." She lied. She really wished she could tell him the truth. That she wasn't his Yona, that she was another Yona from somewhere else; because she now believed that's what happened. That somehow she'd been transferred to this realm or world from hers somehow. Perhaps the Kami brought her here from a reason. Perhaps this Yona wasn't strong enough to protect Kouka and help the neko people at the same time or maybe it was something else. _What if I'm dreaming this and it's not real?_

She suddenly heard a humming sound and realized that Hak was humming a tune to her before he paused. His chest rumbled with a soft purr. "I don't know why you'd forget these things, but it's not important. I'll always remember them." He whispered in her ear. "It's these moments that have made me realize two things. One; you are braver than you give yourself credit for. Two; when you care for somebody, you care about them with your whole heart and I thank the gods that I'm one of those people every day."

The two soon fell into a comfortable silence afterwords. As Yona felt her eyelids become heavier she found herself realizing that without giving her heart permission she had begun to love Hak in ways that went beyond friendship and at that moment she really didn't mind it. As her eyes closed she leaned heavily upon Hak's shoulder as he continued to hum a soft tune that only he seemed to know.

* * *

 **M-Angel** : Aw, another sweet moment. I was thinking earlier of how there are racist people in this world and I thought perhaps the idea of a cat-like person existing there may be some racists/xenophobic people who would rather treat them like slaves, but that there would be people who wouldn't care; Yona being one of them. I'm also thinking Yona will find a way to ensure neko people can co-exist with humans without there being problems or at least get the ball rolling to ensure that.


	3. The Proposal

**Chapter 3** : _The Proposal_

* * *

A month had passed since leaving the small village in the wind tribe. Since then Yona had come across many people who seemed to absolutely hate the neko people and it saddened her to see such gentle people treated like trash. In the fire tribe they were treated worse than in any other tribe. They weren't even allowed to own land there. In the water tribe they were given some respect, mostly because the water tribe seemed more lax than the others, that and they ignored most problems unless provoked. So once again the group was in the wind tribe and now that they were Yona wanted to begin helping the neko people. First she had to talk to Mundeok which meant traveling to Fuuga.

Yona was walking next to Hak with Yun leading their group and the warriors walking behind him, she and Hak came up from behind. As they walked in silence Yona watched him from the corner of her eye and kept having to suppress a laugh as he either would yawn like a cat or begin scratching his ear and wouldn't stop. He'd then begin making soft sounds as the sun hit his body causing a soft purr to erupt from his throat. It was so cute watching him! She loved it. It was almost as entertaining as watching her Hak annoy Kija with his name calling or when her Hak would tease Jae-ha only for her Ryokuryuu to begin flirting with him, which almost always gained a punch in the face. Her face beamed as she smiled the entire time. She couldn't help it, she was way relaxed and happy today. She was certain nothing could change this.

However fate was to be cruel as she soon found out when the sun was dimmed by some clouds. Yona looked up and saw the darkening clouds. "We should find a place to take cover." Hak's deep voice causing her to look towards him.

"I think we can make it before the rain begins pouring." She stated causing Hak to smirk at her. _Oh no._ She thought. _That's his teasing smile._

"Well if you don't mind the smell of wet cat or dragon..." He began only to pause in his steps.

Looking over his shoulder she watched his eyes narrow as his ears twitched this way and that. He quickly pulled the hood up on her cloak before placing his rimmed hat on. He whistled causing the others to look towards him. Yun quickly followed his example and found his rag and tied his ears down and hair back. Yona watched Jae-ha and Kija place the young man in between them as Shin-ah vanished into the nearby trees.

Hak pulled Yona close to his body. "Don't move from my side." She gave a nod.

Moments later a dozen horses with armed men came riding passed them. In the center was somebody Yona recognized, General Lee Geun-tae, the earth general and a big supporter of Su-won. Yona watched the general ride by and gave a sigh as he didn't seem to notice them.

"Wonder where he's off to?" came Jae-ha's voice.

Hak frowned as he stayed silent. It was obvious where the earth general was off to. "Let's go." She said with a determined look. He looked down at her and felt himself sigh inwardly. He did a slight bow of the head and continued to walk with her. When they went around the bend Shin-ah came out of hiding and continued to walk with them, this time coming up the rear.

It was another hour of silence before the rain began to pour. A half hour later everybody was soaked through and Yona could tell Hak was having a hard time holding in a _'I told you so'_ , but she didn't care. She wanted to make it to Fuuga before the end of the day and thankfully after another hour of walking they had made it to the capital of the wind tribe.

Hak took them to the Inn in town and found himself having his cheeks pulled by the Innkeeper. The older woman laughed as she pulled Yona into her arms. "Rina, my girl!" She hugged the young girl causing Yona to gasp and Hak to hide a laugh.

"Hi Mina Rose." She said with a grimace. She remembered the plump woman from her last visit, having helped her with the injured merchants.

The woman glanced over Yona's clothes before glaring at Hak. "You monster," she chastised him. "making this poor girl walk in the pouring rain."

"Eh?" Yona questioned before looking at herself. _Okay, I'm covered in just a little mud, but I'm not that bad looking, am I?_

"Mi-" Hak began only to have one of his ears pulled. He bit his tongue to stop a hiss at the action.

"You should know better!" She berated him. "And look at her. She looks like she been surviving on twigs and leaves. She so skinny!"

This gained a growl from Yun. "I'll have you know she ears more than that!" He snarled quite annoyed that anybody would insinuate that he'd let her of all people starve.

The woman looked over the strawberry blonde and instantly was in front of him. She snatched his chin and frown. "You could use some meat on you too dear." She grabbed his wrist and began to pull both him and Yona away. "Hak you know where the rooms are." She called over her shoulder causing the young man to laugh at Yun's predicament. He couldn't wait to see what Mina Rose would do once she saw that Yun wasn't a girl like he knew she was thinking.

* * *

An hour later Yun was red faced, ears plastered to his head and was wearing new sky blue wind tribe clothes. The top was a robe like what Hak wore under his overcoat. It was light blue with a leopard design along the collar edge and trim along the bottom with a black tie around the waist. The pants were black and he now had new black leather boots on his feet. He was also currently glaring at Hak who was laughing his ass off at Yun's expense. Usually Yun was proud of his looks, they'd gotten him out of a lot of tight spots; but this time he was very annoyed by his feminine looks.

"It's not funny!" He yelled. "She tried to put me in the same bath as Yo-Rina!" He stopped to correct Yona's alias she was using.

Hak continued to snicker. "I wouldn't have minded that bath." Jae-ha stated almost dreamily. He gained an elbow in the stomach for that comment from Hak. "Worth it." He muttered with a grimace.

Hak shook his head at the green haired man. He looked at Yun. "How far did she go before she realized you were a boy?" Knowing the older lady like he did he knew she could be quite stubborn.

Yun snorted as he sat on the floor next to Hak, his face still red with embarrassment. "She saw the scar where my tail once was." He stated.

"You had your tail removed?" Hak asked a bit shocked. He honestly thought it had been hidden under his pants.

"Parents did it." He stated with a shrug.

"Must've been when you were a kit." Hak thought outloud. "It's usually done easier then any way. Harder once you're say five or six." Yun raised an eyebrow at him. "Old Man had mine done when I became his heir at five."

"Ouch." Yun said softly.

Everybody turned their attention to the doorway when they heard the sliding door open. Yona gave a sigh at getting a nice hot bath. She looked at her friend's who were looking at her in awe. "What?" She asked. As she walked across the room she could help but feel their eyes on her.

"Rina dear, royal blue is definitely your color." Jae-ha flirted with her.

"Thank-you." She said with a gentle smile on her lips. The kimono she wore was two layers. First layer was a sky blue with the second layer being the royal blue color with light blue flowers falling across the material. She also had new black slipper shoes on and it felt good to be clean and in fresh clothes for a change. She leaned her head on Hak's shoulder and pouted.

"What's wrong Yo-Rina?" Kija asked as a blush formed over the bridge of his nose.

"I'm sad cause I can't sleep with Hak tonight." She stated before hearing Hak wheeze and cough as the drink he'd been drinking went down the wrong tube in his throat.

"Why Hak, I didn't know that was the kind of relationship you were in with our sweet Rina." Jae-ha teased.

Yona blinked in confusion. She knew she'd said something that caused this round of teasing but for the life of her she couldn't figure it out. "Perhaps Yun will sleep with me since you'll be sharing the room with the others." Once again a round of coughing ensued this time between Yun and Hak.

"Rina perhaps you shouldn't say that unless you want to give our poor Hak here a heart attack and put Yun in a coma from shock." Jae-ha laughed gaining a glare from both men.

Yona sighed again. She hated not understanding why people made such a big deal when she those kinds of things.

"I'll be close by," Hak stated. "plus Yun will be sleeping with the others in their room." He scratched his head. "Tomorrow we'll talk to gramps." He muttered the last part lowly causing Yona to giggle at the hated word. He really disliked calling Mundeok gramps.

As the evening wore on everybody retired to their rooms, though once again Yona found that she just couldn't sleep. She moved from her bed and walked over to the window and sat by it. The crescent moon hung overhead and the stars glittered with their beauty. It was as she was starring up at the sky that she heard footsteps on the tiles above her when suddenly a little boy peered down from above.

"Rina!"

It took Yona a few moments to realize who it was. "Han-dae!" Next to him the new wind general Tae-woo was leaning over the rooftop to look at her. "Tae-woo." She greeted causing the young teen to blush.

"Yo-Rina." He caught himself almost calling her by her real name. "We heard Hak was in town and thought we'd drop in and see you two." He waved for her to move back inside. He swung his body inside followed by his best friend who landed on his body.

Yona giggled as she watched the two tribesmen grumble at each other. "I'll go get Hak." She said her voice still holding mirth in it. She didn't even go far when she opened the door Hak was already standing there, obviously having heard the noise made by the two young men.

Tae-woo felt his throat tighten as he saw the dark look in Hak's eyes as Han-dae lit a lantern in the room to give them some light. "We heard you were in town." He said as he sat on the window sill while Han-dae sat on the floor looking ever so bored.

Hak closed the door to the room and say next to Yona. "She wants to help some people but needs your help to do so." He looked at Yona.

The red haired girl looked at Tae-woo. "Because now you're the General of the Wind tribe I believe that you're the only one who can help me with a problem."

"What's the problem?" He asked honestly not knowing what problem she was referring to. The wind tribe was quiet compared to the other tribes.

"The neko people need your help." She stated. "I've traveled everywhere and in most places I've found that people more or less treat them like slaves."

Tae-woo sighed. "I've noticed it too." He admitted. "In fact I've gotten to the point of drawing up a proposal to King Su-won in an attempt to bring it to his attention."

"What's in the proposal?" Hak asked quite curious about this.

"Illegalizing enslaving neko people, illegalizing forced labor camps, making it a criminal offense to put on those damn collars with spirit bells and allowing them to own their own land without being harassed by others about it. Equal rights for them so that they're treated like any other human being." He looked up and saw pride showing in Hak's eyes. "Bigotry and racism may take awhile to dissipate, but I'm hoping that this proposal will be taken seriously so that future generations will be treated with the respect they deserve. They're sentient beings created by the Kami just like us. This hate has gone on long enough; in my opinion."

Hak gave a nod. "Agreed." The former general spoke with pride in his voice before looking at Yona. "Guess we can leave."

"Actually having Yona sign the proposal might help." Tae-woo smiled. "It would mean that the Kouka Kingdom Princess agrees with this proposal." He looked at her with hope filled eyes. "It would also mean a lot to those who don't know that you're on their side."

"I could do that." She said. "Though I doubt it'll mean as much as you say, I just want to help them. Hak is lucky, he had Mundeok who saw him as his grandson, others are not so lucky." She heard Hak sigh. Looking at him she saw him with his arms crossing over his chest. She looked back at Tae-woo. "You'll have to be careful though. A lot of people, slave traders especially, will see this as a threat and will want to possibly harm you for it."

Tae-woo smirked. "I know." He said. "I'm also prepared for it." He looked from her to Hak. "We've missed you."

Hak sighed. "Things could be better," he looked back at Yona. "Tell the old man that we're okay. We have our friends." His ears began twitching. Standing up he went over to the door and pushed it open. Five people fell over each other as the door opened. Hak chuckled as Yona looked at them in surprise.

"What's going on here?" She asked them.

"Zeno heard a noise and went to investigate it." Zeno said with a beaming smile.

"I heard Zeno leave." Yun stated his ears twitching in annoyance.

"I saw Yun leave, so I went to follow him." Kija stated with embarrassment.

"I was already awake drinking outside Rina dear, when I saw these three and decided to follow." Jae-ha explained as he stood up and dusted off his clothes. The others following suit.

Everybody looked at Shin-ah who suddenly felt like he was being put on the spot. "The room was empty." He stated quietly.

Ao decided at that moment to jump from her hiding spot on Shin-she's headpiece and scampered over to Yona. "Were you worried too Ao?" She questioned the squirrel only to get a squeak as a reply.

Tae-woo looked over the group. Sure he'd seen them fight somewhat during that fight when they'd gone to rescue Lady Lily, but he hadn't paid much attention to them. Now though, he could definitely see how strange they were. One wore a mask, one hand a strange armored hand, one obviously drank too much by himself and the last two seem somewhat normal, although one did talk in the third person. "You've got weird friends Hak." He stated as he decided, yes these people were indeed weird and unusual.

Hak chuckled. "You have no idea." He said as he watched everybody begin to take up seats on the floor. He sigh. Obviously nobody was getting any sleep tonight.

* * *

 **M-Angel** : Yay, another chapter done. Phew! I'm enjoying myself here with this story. I hope everybody is enjoying it. Reviews are welcome! ^_^


	4. Stormy Dreams

**Chapter 4** : _Stormy Dreams_

* * *

Light skittered across Yona's features as the fire from the bonfire lit the area. Drums beat, symbols were hit and stringed instruments were strung causing her to want get up and dance. Jae-ha sat with the others with his instrument causing many of the young women to coo towards him, which caused him to preen and Yona to giggle. Tae-yeon was enamored with Shin-ah and kept trying to get the Seiryuu to laugh. Twice she'd seen Shin-ah's lips twitch giving Yona hope that her shy and sweet Seiryuu would one day smile without a care in the world.

Her eyes went across the bonfire where she saw Kija sitting next to elder Mundeok soaking up ever little tale he could from the retired former wind general. All the while Zeno was dancing around the bonfire juggling apples in his hands. Little children were chasing the golden haired boy or trying to copy him in juggling, but failed miserably, which caused people to laugh.

Next to her Hak yawned not out of boredom but because he didn't get much sleep the night before. Tae-woo and he had hashed out the proposal with Yona adding a thing or two along with Yun's input on what he had witnessed and experienced in his life, which shocked Yona. She was so very glad Ik-soo had found Yun when he did. She couldn't imagine her sweet, loving friend enduring anything worse than he had. By the time dawn had come, Tae-woo had more to add or rewrite when it came to the papers back at the wind manor. Nobody left the Inn until later that afternoon.

Yona leaned her head against Hak's shoulder as she watched Yun help in serving everybody around the bonfire. Afterwords the young neko sat down next to her with a bowl of soup for himself. Yona had already finished her bowl, as had Hak; which was why the raven haired former general was so relaxed as he leaned against the tree. Yona smiled as she heard a soft purr emanating from his chest. Hak's eyes drifted closed as the music became a soft him into the background.

Yona looked up when she saw Mundeok settle down on Hak's other side, his one eye, eying the young man before looking towards her. "Princess, you look tired."

Yona's smile broadened. "I'm fine." She stated. "Hak protects me while I sleep." She looked at her sleeping guardian. "He rarely let's his guard down like this. I'm glad he feels safe enough to fall asleep while I'm still awake."

"He knows we won't allow anybody to come and hurt you." Mundeok looked at the young man on her other side before looking around at the others. "You have many guardians now Princess. What do you plan on doing?"

"Right now, I plan on helping the neko people." She said before looking up at the sky. "Then I plan on stopping a war that may or may not happen."

"Who is possibly attacking us?" He asked having not heard anything.

"Xing." She stated softly as the fire reflected in her eyes.

Mundeok looked at the young girl before him and felt his heart swell with pride. In the beginning she'd been a weak girl who'd lost everything she'd ever known in a single night and now he could see strength and resolve in her and found himself excited to see what she'd bring to this once great nation; but first they had to find a way to put her on the throne and that wouldn't happen until she was ready. "The wind sides with you always Princess." He lifted his eyes to look over those gathered. "Just tell us when and we shall come to you to help protect and defend our nation."

Yona looked at the former general and smiled at him. "I know, but I won't be calling for help for a long time." She looked off at her friends. "First things first."

"Hm." Mundeok hummed as he drank a cup of sake as it was given to him by one of the servers.

A yawn caught their attention. Yun's mouth was open in a wide yawn. He looked over at Yona. "I think I'm going to head off to bed." He stated.

"Can you find your way back to the Inn?" Yona questioned him.

"Yeah, no problem." He said tiredly.

Yona frowned as she watched the pretty teenage boy walk off tiredly before looking off towards one of her warriors and caught Shin-ah looking towards her. She looked from him to where Yun had disappeared off to. The young man got the silent message and stood before excusing himself and leaving. As he vanished from sight Yona sigh before returning her attention towards Mundeok.

* * *

Early morning brought with it a ragging storm outside. The thunder woke Yona up. Her eyes widening as she felt her heart speeding up. Her breath coming in gasps as she found her mind going back to that night when her father was murdered. She unconsciously curled up in the futon under the blankets. As lightning flashed her eyes were not seeing in front of her but the fight between Hak and Su-won. As she saw Hak's blade graze Su-won's shoulder she closed her eyes tightly and whimpered under the blankets. She felt her hands becoming cold like ice. She remembered having these attacks shortly after the rebellion Su-won had started and coming to Fuuga the first time with Hak. She also remembered having them the day after finding Kija and again after finding Jae-ha. She could recall the look of terror on Kija's face the first time it had happened or how Jae-ha's eyes had become dark and him inquiring from the others on what had occurred for her to react that way. Yona could still remembered Hak taking her into his arms and taking her away from the group, finding a place where they could be alone and she could calm down, but she didn't have her Hak here. She was sure this Hak would do the same thing, but she didn't want to be a bother. Lighting cracked like a whip overhead and thunder rumbled and shook the ground beneath her body. She found herself frozen as she suddenly felt her body pulled into warm arms. She felt warm breath against her ear and lips against said ear. Her fingers gripped the cloth against the warm chest. Silent tears ran down her cheeks.

Finally as her breathing began to return to normal she felt a different rumbling sound under her ear. Lifting her head slightly she looked up at him and found his eyes closed. _He's purring._ She thought. Oddly enough, that sound made her forget the storm outside and it left her feeling safe.

"Feeling better?" He asked as he nuzzled the top of her head. "You haven't had one of these in a long time." He inhaled her scent, the smell of roses and cream filled in lungs.

"Yeah." She said with a sigh. "I don't know why it came on."

"You're safe now." He said as he continued to nuzzle her, his chest vibrating softly in a contented way. Though he didn't like her getting frightened, it gave him a reason to hold her tightly to his body. His instincts telling him to care for this young woman, to protect her, and to love her. "For the first time in four months we are not running from something or putting our lives on the line for somebody or having to save lives." He sighed as his arms tighten around her. "Your mind and body is finally able to rest; though I don't think that mind of yours does anything but rest." He jabbed at her.

Yona playfully swatted at his face causing him to chuckle. It was like a kitten swatting at a tiger. No competition. "You're mean." He went to pull away only to have her grip on his clothing tighten. "But you only do it to help me. I know that." She snuggled into his arms. Her eyes began to feel heavy as the rain poured heavily outside the window. Within minutes the two best friends fell asleep in each other's arms, one began dreaming of a future that would happen no mater what happened while the other dreamed of a future that was believed to be just wishful thinking.

* * *

 **M-Angel** : I meant to post this last week, but with Thanksgiving it kinda got lost amongst the things I needed to complete. Good news is, you get 2 chapters instead of 1 this week.


	5. Laws of Protection

**Chapter 5** : _Laws of Protection_

* * *

Morning light sank through the holes of the tent canopy touching skin of those inside. Violet eyes opened and found themselves captured by intense blue. Cheeks flushed on both parties as both Yona and Hak realized they'd fallen asleep in each other's arms once again. This had started happening for the last couple of weeks since the night of the thunderstorm. At first Yona had told herself that it was because she was lonely when she slept, which wasn't true because she shared her tent with Yun. Then it was because the last few nights had been so cold, which was kinda true. Next she admitted it was because she didn't want him too far from her; but if she was truly honest with herself, it was because Hak made her feel safe, loved and oh so protected while sleeping. So for once she didn't care that she'd woken up in his arms.

Pulling on his blue overcoat she both pulled him closer to her and pulled herself closer to him. She heard him make a contented sound before his arms tightened around her. _Safe. Yes, that I am._ She thought as she tucked her head under his chin against his chest. She could both feel and hear his heartbeat. It was a loud and it was fast. _Just like mine._ She thought. Her mind began to go fuzzy as she started to drift back to sleep.

Hak on the other hand was stunned his Princess hadn't pushed him away like she'd done a few times that week when they'd woken up this way. Instead she seemed contented to lay in his arms. _She drives me mad. Both my heart and my instincts._ He thought as he absentmindedly nuzzled the top of her head. The scent of earth, flowers and spice hit his nose. He loved her scent. It was so calming to him. Holding her in his arms reminded him that she was alive and safe.

He was then reminded of what today was. It was the day Su-won came to Fuuga to speak with Tae-woo and Elder Mundeok about how to help the Neko people. He didn't know whether or not the traitor King would listen. He did hope that the proposal was enough of a base for a law to be made that would protect his species from further exploitation.

Taking a deep breath he gently rubbed Yona's back, gaining a groan from the young Princess. He smirked. "Princess, wake up." She shook her head no. "Well, if you don't wake up then you'll just end up becoming an ugly lazy krone."

She lifted her head away from his chest and glared at him causing him to smirk. "You're mean." She stated as she slowly sat up.

He chuckled as he pushed his hair out of his face and groaned as he stretched in the bedding. His ears twitched as he heard a nose outside the tent. Standing swiftly he grabbed his weapon before walking out. Ears falling against his head and vanishing in his thick locks of hair. His eyes widened as he spotted Tae-woo with Su-won and Ju-do. He growled.

"Hak!" Tae-woo yelled gaining a glare from the former Wind General. "He's hear to talk peacefully."

Hak's grip on his quandao suddenly tightened. His muscles became stiff and his body was readying itself to attack when a gentle hand touched his arm. Almost instantly the tension left him. Looking down upon the red haired woman that he'd sworn to protect he realized that he'd almost blown their chance at getting anything said about the proposal or how they could help his kind. He turned his head away from Su-won so he didn't have to look at the traitor.

"Lord Su-won," came Jae-ha's cool voice next to Hak. His eyes met Hak's and the younger man watched as the elders became darker. Jae-ha knew Hak's history when it came to Su-won and had appeared as soon as he'd seen the Kouka King. "what do we owe the pleasure?" Jae-ha sensed another of their group come to stand next to him. Out from the corner of his eye he caught a glimpse of silvery hair and knew it to be Kija.

"Lord Tae-woo said that he had drawn up a proposal that Princess Yona approved of." He smiled gently at them.

Suddenly Yona was reminded of a beautiful snake, something so beautiful looking so innocent but that it could be so very dangerous. "I do approve of this proposal. It's a way we can protect a certain type of people."

Su-won blinked in surprise. "What people are you talking about?" He inquired.

"The neko species." She stated, her eyes narrowing. "They're being exploited, being forced into slavery worse than humans, they're forced to wear spirit bells that basically are killing them, and-"

Su-won raised a hand to stop her from speaking. "I know these things and have been working to resolve them; however everything I've come up with would eventually be shot down or make me an enemy of tradesmen, something I cannot do." He looked at Tae-woo. "I hope your proposal is a good one."

The young man smiled at his King. "I had Elder Mundeok look it over this morning." He said. "I believe his words were that it was damn time somebody came up with a plan that wouldn't have any holes in it for others to faniggle into something that wasn't meant to be." He scratched his head. "Or something like that.

"I see." Su-won closed his eyes before looking at Yona then at Hak and smiled softly. "I do hope you'll be able to come when we convene later today."

"Of course." Yona replied stiffly. "However we won't be staying long. I'm sure you understand." Her eyes were beginning to light with a strange fire that Su-won had never seen in them.

Taking a step back he gave saddened look towards her. "Of course." He said as he turned and left.

Ju-do looked at Su-won. "Lord Su-won, why didn't you allow me to-" he began only to be stopped by a single look from his King.

"If you had killed him right then," he started. "what would have stopped the others from killing and then me. As long as he is in the wind tribe we cannot touch him, for those who know who he is will rise to his defense." He then grabbed the reins of the horse and got onto it's back. Ju-do followed his King and soon after Tae-woo followed them back to Fuuga.

* * *

As promised, several hours later, Yona and her group walked into town to find it abuzz with excitement. Most knew what Su-won had done, but that didn't make it any less exciting to see the King in their small city. People running to and fro to either get something that would entertain the young King or prepare food for his surprise visit.

Their group came to the Wind tribe's manor where Hak had grown up and where Yona had fled to after her father's murder. All around them Yona could see Sky tribe soldiers, a couple of Earth tribe soldiers and even fewer Water and Fire tribe soldiers. Yona smiled and felt excitement enter her as she spotted Lady An Lili and her two guardians Ayura and Tetora, the two girls flocked Zeno almost instantly causing the Ouryuu to laugh as Tetora began asking him questions to see if he'd been taking care of himself and such. This caused Yona to smile, especially when Jae-ha joined in and began making them think he was hurt for being ignored by such beautiful women.

Lili walked up to Yona and took her hand into her own. "I'm so glad we're able to see each other again." Her eyes shone with emotion. "I've been worried about you for a while, especially when I heard you'd been near the boarder with Xing."

Yona smiled nervously. "I didn't even get near Xing." She stated. "We did hear rumors that they're thinking of attacking us and that worries me, especially since it boarders the Wind tribe which is Hak home tribe."

Lili nodded in understanding as she wrapped an arm around one of Yona's. "I'm just glad you are all okay." She said with a soft sigh.

As they walked up the stairs to the manor Yona noticed that the Wind tribesmen seemed nervous. Han-dae stood at the top with Tae-yeon, who was jumping up and down like the excited child he was. It worried her because if he got too excited he'd end up falling over with an episode. As soon as she reached the top step she found herself with Tae-yeon's arms around her waist.

"Rina!" The boy cried out. "I missed you."

"Rina?" Lili questioned her with a frown.

Yona pushed Tae-yeon back a bit. "You can call me Yona now since it is my real name." She stated.

Tae-yeon smiled. "I know!" He said happily before taking on a more serious look. "I just wasn't sure if it was safe to do so."

"It's good you showed caution." Hak's deep voice came from behind them causing the boy to launch himself at Hak.

"Big brother!" Hak caught the young boy with one arm and balanced his weapon on his shoulder with his other hand. "Nice surprise attack. Keep working on it though."

"Yes sir!" Tae-yeon stated with a laugh.

"How could he miss them so quickly when he just saw us a couple of weeks ago at the bonfire?" Kija questioned Jae-ha.

"Brotherly love?" Jae-ha questioned.

"Would you miss Shin-ah and I like that too?" He asked the green haired man.

Jae-ha felt a sweat drop onto his forehead at that question especially when he sensed the Seiryuu was suddenly paying attention. "O-Of course." He answered nervously.

"Zeno would miss everybody." came their yellow haired friend's voice. This caused everyone to look at him nervously.

Yun sighed. "I certainly wouldn't."

"That's just mean Yun." Jae-ha stated with a teasing voice.

"Who'd miss you annoying beasts!" He yelled at them. "You smell, you're loud-"

"Isn't he being louder?" Han-dae as Yona who giggled.

"You all eat so much, always getting hurt, tearing your clothes; which then need patched up and you're always finding ways to get into fights!" He yelled at the five men.

"Sorry Mama Yun!" Jae-ha and Hak stated at the same time with teasing smiles.

"I'm NOT your Mama!" He yelled back at them. His face flushing, ears pinned back and if he still had his tail it'd be swishing in anger.

Tae-yeon's ears popped up at that moment as he turned his head towards a noise. Hak's ears twitch as his head swiveled to the noise. "Okay, stop teasing Yun." Ayura said causing the boys to all smile at her while Yun's cheeks flushed a deeper shade of red.

Yona and Lili followed Han-dae as he lead them to a patio where the four generals and Su-won were waiting for them. General Lee Geun-tae smiled as he caught sight of Princess Yona with her guardians behind her. Elder Mundeok stood behind Tae-woo, the older male looked towards the Princess with his good eye. He was hoping nothing bad would occur.

Yona felt her breath stop when she saw Lord Kan Tae-jun standing behind his brother and new Fire general, Lord Kan Kyo-ga. The two brothers were eerily similar in looks though Tae-jun seemed to be wearing clothing that commoners of the fire tribe seemed to wear while his brother wore more expensive looking clothes. The elder had a look of superiority about it while Tae-jun looked more humble than she'd ever seen him.

Lili left her side with her two guardians and took a seat behind her father General Joon-gi who looked to be asleep, but Yona wasn't fooled. She'd seen that man fight when he'd come to save Lili from the slavers at the fortress months ago. His eyes remained closed but it didn't mean he wasn't paying attention to those around him. It was quite the act.

"Yona, I'm glad you came." Su-won said with a calmness about him that was familiar and warm.

 _He's pretending nothing has changed between us._ She thought as she decided to sit next to Tae-woo who suddenly flushed at her choice of a seat. Geun-tae smirked and looked at his King who seemed to ignoring what she was silently saying to him. The message was clear to everyone else though. She'd be there for this meeting, but she would not sit next to her cousin in any time of support. It lead to most everyone thinking the same question, why?

"This meeting was called to have passed a proposal made by General Tae-woo that is supported by Princess Yona and former General Mundeok." Su-won stated.

"Why were we called to Fuuga and not Kuuto?" General Kyo-gi inquired, his eyes dark as he watched the interaction between his King and the King's young cousin.

"Because I was already in the area by the time the proposal was given to me." Su-won explained. "Besides I do love the Wind tribe's hospitality."

"I am honored that your majesty enjoys my tribe like he does." The young general stated as he began to pass copies of the proposal. "This proposal is very important to me and I wish for laws to be enacted in order to protect the people that I am about to speak of."

"People?" General Joon-gi looked over the parcel of paper, his eyes widening ever so slightly before a slight smile appeared on his lips. He raised his head and looked over the young Princess, knowing full well she had to have had quite the influence over this. For once the Water tribe would not be slow and steady, it would react quickly. "I agree." This caused everyone to look towards him. "It is time somebody protects the neko people from being harmed by humanity. They are a kind and gentle people." He gave a nod. "The Water tribe will agree to laws being made to protect them from those who would wish to harm, enslave or kill these people for sport."

"That happens?" Yona whispered towards Hak only for her question to be answered by another.

"That and more Princess." General Geun-tae stated as he laid the parchment down. "The Earth tribe will agree to laws being made as well."

All eyes turned towards General Kyo-gi who gave a nod. "My tribe as well will agree to reasonable laws being made." He stated knowing his tribe had a huge problem with enslaving the neko kind. "Forced enslavement, forced labor and forced prostitution should be one of many things that should be made illegal."

Murmurs of agreement came from around the table.

Su-won's eyes met Yona's. "What about you, Yona. What do you have to add to this?" Upon his question towards the young crimson haired girl, it threw the attention towards her.

"I believe those are good idea's that General Kyo-gi has made." She said. "However, I'd like to add to that list mistreatment of any neko should be punished. This includes beatings in the public or privately done. Spirit bells should no longer be used. The cutting of tails should be the choices of the parents and not forced by others. This includes the docking of the ears."

"Ear docking?" Tae-woo inquired, he hadn't been aware of that one.

Yun stepped forward. "Ear docking is usually done by slave owners to make their neko slaves look more human." He stated causing the generals to all look at him. The young neko suddenly felt a bit nervous. Clearing his throat he allowed his own ears to lift as he continued, his finger tracing around one of his ears on top of his head. "The entire area around the ear is cut, thus leaving a large whole. Hair is brushed over the whole and noise is muffled." He explained as his ears once again went flat against his skull. "Over the years of being a herbalist I've come across many who have had this done to them. In later years you get a higher chance of infection and early onset deafness."

Su-won frowned, he had no idea that kind of thing actually occurred. Turning to the generals he spoke. "Do we have an agreement that this should be made into law?" Nods and murmurs of agreement were heard. "Good." He closed his eyes. "I will have this officially drawn up and brought to the counsel in a few days. I want all who are here to be at Hiryuu Castle in two days time where this will be brought before the country's counsel and made into law."

* * *

The days that followed the first meeting in Fuuga brought Yona and her friends to Hiryuu Castle. It took a whole month to get the counsel to listen to them, followed by two more weeks in getting them to pass the laws. All the while Yona twitched at most everything in the palace that she once had lived in. She was constantly nervous that something or somebody was gonna jump out and try to kill her. Lili and her girls kept her mind busy, but when she was alone at night she was constantly waiting for something had to happen. She was thankful she had her bow training that kept her busy at night when she couldn't sleep.

It was late evening when the counselors finally agreed on the placement of the new laws concerning the neko people. It was agreed upon that like with humans, no Kouka citizen could own a neko slave, publics beatings or humiliation of any neko could be punished the same way it would be if they were human. Nobody could force a neko into selling what they didn't want to sell, forced prostitution was illegal, forced marriages, or breedings as they were called, were now illegal. Sterilization was now illegal. If a neko had been owned for more that five years they were to be paid what was owed to them for those years. Land was to be given to those who had ask for it but were denied before. Docking of either ears or tails could only be done by doctors if parents wished to do so and only between the ages of infancy to three years of age. With the new laws being passed Yona and her group slowly snuck out of the palace, going unnoticed until morning.

Once out of the palace Yona felt like she could breathe once more. She didn't feel the panic she'd felt for the last month and half. Behind her were her friends as they sat and talked around the fire. Before her was a great meadow that was a lite with fireflies and above her was a full moon, beautifully round and bright. A small stream went between her and the meadow and as she was about to cross it she felt her consciousness vanish as darkness enveloped her.

* * *

 **M-Angel** : So originally I was only going to have five chapters, but I've decided to do an epilogue after this chapter. So, one more chapter before I end this story.


	6. Epilogue

**Chapter** **6** : _Epilogue_

* * *

Yona sat up and found herself on a small paddle boat in the center of a large river. She was in a long dark tunnel. Behind her was darkness, in front of her was a bright light. It was as she looked at the light that she saw a second boat float up next to hers. Inside, sitting there was another her.

The second Yona smiled at her, around her neck was a small pink ribbon that held a bright yellow bell that was missing the ball inside that made it ring. "Thank-you for taking care of them." She said, her voice lite as a feather. "You've given me hope for the future of Hak's people." She had tears in her eyes. "The night you were brought here I prayed to the dragons for help. I told them that I didn't believe I could bring peace to the neko by myself. That I needed more help than what their warriors could give me." She clasped her hands in front of her in prayer as the tears fell. "Thank-you. Thank-you so very much."

Yona then realized why she'd been called to help this other Yona. While they looked almost exactly the same, this Yona seemed; fragile. She seemed to have very little strength or will to do something as complicated as saving an entire race from being exploited. Smiling softly she reach across their boats and took one of her hands. "You're welcome." She stated. "You have precious friends there and hope the laws we got passed with help in protecting future generations."

The other Yona nodded before handing Yona her ribbon. "So you'll never forget us." She explained.

 _As if I ever could._ She thought as she accepted the ribbon with the bell on it. The golden bell had an inscription upon it that Yona couldn't quite read, as it seemed to be in another language. When she lifted her eyes up from looking at the bell she saw that the boat had continued to drift on by and that the second Yona was already on her way home. Suddenly the tunnel on her end brightened until she was forced to shield her eyes. Then once again darkness enveloped her.

* * *

When Yona opened her eyes again she found six very worried looking faces a hovering over her. The first one to sigh was Yun. "Thank goodness." He said his voice betraying his level of worry. "We've been trying to wake you for the last hour."

"You were so tired that even our spirits couldn't reach you!" Kija cried causing Shin-ah to pat his fellow dragon brother's shoulder in comfort.

"It was not quite beautiful either." Jae-ha stated his voice tight from worry. He looked away as if trying to contain his emotions.

Zeno had his back to her and was currently the silent one, something that was next to impossible. Yona looked towards Hak who wasn't looking at her. She suddenly slipped her hand into his, then grabbed Zeno's hand that was tightened into a fist. "I'm alright you guys." She pulled on Zeno's hand causing him to look at her. Big fat tears were running down his cheeks like rivers. He threw himself into her arms. Her body muffled his sounds of crying and soon she found all four dragon warriors in her arms in one form or another, though Jae-ha was behind her with his face burried against her red locks. "I was just very tired." She lied. 

* * *

It was later that afternoon when Tona found herself sitting on a grassy cliff with her back against the trunk of a tree. She'd found that the fire in Xing had only happened yesterday and that her time in the other place had not been in months but hours in her realm. It was kind of a relief, but it made her wonder if it was nothing more that just a dream. A weird dream, but a dream nonetheless. She suddenly felt somebody sit next to her and didn't have to wonder who it was as she saw the dark blue material of the person before hearing his breathing. She watched silently as he tentatively touched her hand with his. She slipped her fingers into his hand causing a soft sigh escape his lips.

"I'm okay Hak." She assured him.

"I know." He replied, "but that doesn't stop me from worrying."

"If it helps I can assure you that you even are protecting me in my dreams." She stated not realizing she'd just given him ammo to tease her on.

"Oh?" His voice turned teasing causing her to blush. "So you're dreaming of me?" She turned her face away from him. He lean closer to her. "And what am I doing in these dreams? Hmm?"

"N-Nothing." She stuttered when she turned her face back to him only to blush at his proximity to her. "You're just always protecting me."

"Is that all?" His voice was still teasing her when Yun interrupted them.

"Lunch time!" He called out causing Yona to sigh in relief before pulling her hand away from Hak only to turn around as he grabbed her hand. Their eyes met and for a moment everything froze. A sudden bell like sound caught her attention.

"Ao!" Yun yelled. "Where'd you get that bell." Yona turned her head and looked to see Yun picking up a small golden bell attached to a pink ribbon. Her mouth opened to say something when suddenly her lips were claimed. "Huh. There's no ball in the bell. Must be broke." Yun turned to call Yona when his eyes widened at what he saw. Hak's kissing Yona! He thought when he heard the others behind.

"Oh?" Jae-ha's voice sounded. "Looks like Hak finally found his courage."

"He-He-" Kija stuttered as looked at the display before them.

"Hak's kissing Yona." Shin-ah said stating the obvious.

"Mister and Miss will be alright." Zeno said with a smile before grabbing a bowl of Yun's stew. "Let's eat." Everybody looked at the yellow dragon warrior with shock before the yelling began.

Hak pulled away from Yona's lips. Her violet eyes were wide, her lips still parted slightly and a nice red flush covered her cheeks and bridge of her nose. He loved it but suddenly feared he had overstepped the invisible line. "Princess..." He began when suddenly she attack him. Her lips were on his, arms around his neck and the momentum of her attack had him on his back and for a moment Yona didn't care about anything around them. For all she cared Su-won could come charging into their camp and to begin a war and she wouldn't have care at all. She pulled her lips away from his, she found herself smiling and ready for the next step in their journey. As long as she had Hak by her side, she knew she'd be happy and safe.

* * *

 **M-Angel** : Well this ends this story. That's kind of sad, but the good news is this means I can focus on my other stories, unless I get inspired again. LoL!


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